Young Writers Society

There's a lot of fun and games happening today, but at the end of the day, at the end of ten years, I think what most of us feel is gratitude towards this site.

If you've stuck around for however long, be it ten years or ten days, you've become a part of the fabric here at YWS, and I think that it's only right we have a place to collate all those heartfelt thank-yous. Put yours below.

So thank you not only to Nate, but to everybody who has kept the site alive and kicking. Thank you to the staff, thank you to every single one of over 30,000 members who took the time to register and helped the site to grow into what it is today.

But thank you especially to Nate as well, for giving us the opportunity.

Thank you YWS, for giving us a safe space to be at the end of the day. Thank you for binding people together with a shared passion the way you have. Thank you for nurturing so many amazing writers, for teaching them how to grow and evolve, and for teaching them how to teach others. Thank you for spreading the word about grammar, about showing-not-telling, about paragraphs and purple prose. Thank you for being a place dedicated to helping others. Thank you for helping me with my writing, and thank you for giving me the privilege of now reading the polished, excellent work of writers that you have raised.

Thank you for being such a welcoming community. Thank you for the people who jump on the Welcome Mat, thank you for the ever-rotating list of Post Your Pics and other silly Lounge posts. Thank you even for SD&D, even though it makes my head explode occasionally. Thank you for the chat room. Thank you for creating a place where anything could be happening when you walk in the door. Thank you for Storybooks, the way they tie writing and roleplay together the way nowhere else really does. Thank you for the characters and scenarios that arise there and the adventures that we have together.

Thank you for collecting some of the best people from around the globe. Without YWS, I would be lacking some of my best friends. Thank you for creating a support system. Thank you for attracting people who read my blog when I'm down and promise everything is going to be alright. Thank you for letting me meet those friends whose bond now stretches beyond YWS, for whom I check my phone and my Facebook, who know nearly everything about me and are okay with that. Thank you for introducing new friends to me in my teenage years, when everybody needs someone they can trust. And thank you for letting me hang onto them, seven years later as adulthood creeps up on me.

Thank you for being so much more than a writing site. Thank you for being home.

Like I put on my wall, thank you YWS for helping me to develop into a mature writer. I finally feel my work has been worthwhile and that my novels have a chance to be read and enjoyed.
Thank you @Nate for inspiring young ones to write, even if they didn't before. You have certainly changed my life, my writing has become so much better than when I started. I feel the need to carry on with my work and so do many others.
Thank you to the staff for keeping us in a close nit family. Without you guys, I wouldn't be able to call YWS ny sanctuary, or home. It wouldn't be a little hideout for beginners and advanced writers alike. We wouldn't be united so.
Thank you to all my lovely friends, who have followed my novels, commented on my poems and reviewed my short stories. You're all wonderful people.

Thank you one and all. My world wouldn't be the same without you.

Four years back, I had no idea what I was doing with myself. With my writing and anything really. YWS was the magic that happened and it told me the world is made up of crazy passionate talented amazing people and I can be one of them if I tried.
Thank you YWS for giving me a place I call my second home. Thank you for my YWS family.
Thank you Nate, for keeping this site going. You made the world beautiful. You and the staff make the lighthouse, thank you for that.
Thank you all those people who make YWS, this place wouldn't be the same without you guys. Squills, the Forum, the works by you guys, the reviews (especially the reviews), the chats. Thank you for being unique and knowing the difference between your and you're.

If YWS was a world, it would be the most perfect and the most amazing world.

At the end of 8th grade graduation, I wasn't really excited.
I didn't know what high school I would go to (trying to move), or if I would keep any of my middle school friends, or much about anything to be honest. Starting summer was confusing for me this time around, because I didn't know what direction my life would go in. And most of all, would I find friends who liked writing as much as I did? And didn't groan during Creative Writing, and who shared the same passions as me? So I typed around my computer for a writing community one Tuesday morning, hoping I would find someplace to share my works and look at other works to inspire me.
Up came Young Writers Society.
I clicked on it, joined, and posted my first few works. One week had gone by and I feared no one would like me on here, because I was barely receiving any feedback. I tried to find a way to delete my account. But something told me to stay, so I did.
And boy was I glad I did ;-;
YWS, I can't thank you enough for how much you have given me and allowed me to be on here. I'm a much better writer, even after a mere 5 months, and I hope to be here a good 5 years at the least. I'm more confident and stronger. And I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet others on a safe site. I couldn't find that anywhere else.
@Nate, I have to thank you, too of course I appreciate you creating a space for me to be myself, learn from others, etc. You deserve some cake for sure
This is basically a second family <3 Thank you to all the members who keep this site thriving. Thank you to @Iggy and @RavenMoonStone who greeted me first. Just thank you thank you thank you
Happy Birthday, YWS. Here's to ten years ^.^

YWS,

It's been an interesting number of years with you. I may only be three, but I feel like I grew up on here.

This site has been the place where I learned so much about writing, found out I have a passion for creating characters and gained a lot of memories that add to my life story.

Many times, YWS has been my voice. Able to speak out through my status updates, YWS helped me to know what I believe and who I want to be.

And everyone I have met on YWS no matter the experience or relationship has taught me something about myself and/or the world.

I love YWS because of what it stands for and what it does. I was just thinking the other day about how it's one of the best communities ever. People here want to write. Not just tell stories but really write. And I think this site is helping to build great writers.

<3,
thewritersdream/Skydreamer

You've given me so much, YWS.

Thank you. <3

You've given me a perspective, knowledge and clarity. You've made me a better person. For that, I'll always love you.

I'm not going to thank you 'cause we are homies. But sometimes you got to do watcha got to do. So yea, thank you, mate!

<3

Thank you, YWS, for showing me how to write. <3 And thank you for the people who showed me, and have since become my good friends.

Life wouldn't really be the same without good ole' YWS there in the morning.

Thank you YWS for providing me with such a beloved place to procrastinate, to revise my works, to write stories, to get wonderful feedback, and last but certainly not least, thank you for all the good friends that you have sent my way!

Happy birthday, and thank you for all that you have done for me and my writing! *bursts into tears* If it wouldn't have been for you I would be on my way to being a terrible writer, but know I have changes my course.

Thank you YWS, for your amazingness and for teaching me how to write.

I know, that without YWS I would be still stumbling around trying to figure out how to write and never having any drive or motivation to do so. Thank you sooo much for all the awesome reviewers, and all the awesome people that I have met so far on here. <333333333

I know I will be able to accomplish something in life, if I stay with YWS. Thank you!

Dearest Darling YWS,

danngggg 10 years? You're getting old! I'm so glad that I was blessed enough to find you four years ago. You've given me a space to grow as a writer, given me a network of support when I need it... Just, thank you <3

I guess I should begin at the beginning.

I joined http://www.fanfiction.net on January 31st, 2009. By the end of that year, I had made a home in a Twilight forum (don't say a word). It was great and I miss it sometimes. I remember staying up all night to create a drawing compiled of all the names of the people I'd made friends with. I couldn't tell you more than ten names, now.

Because of some problems and fights I either can't remember or wasn't around to witness, the forum was deleted by the creator. A 2.0 forum was made by one of the girls and for a while, I lurked, but it wasn't the same. My home was gone and I was alone. Everyone disappeared.

Because of another forum I made for a different book series, I was blessed as @Mickixoxo walked into my life. She and I used to write together often, but after a while, I noticed an absence and asked her about it. She told me her attention was focused on a site called YWS. I was, at the time, still with my other forum and wasn't interested in looking for a new one. However, a few months later, I shifted through hundreds of private messages to find the link.

I was afraid. I still am afraid. Waking up one day and finding your home gone... It's terrifying. It was cruel of the forum creator to do that to us. She didn't even give us a chance, for someone to take over for her. She just deleted us, just like that. And I am scared it's gonna happen again.

But this time is different. This time, I am older. I am smarter. And I will let you know right now, YWS. You aren't going anywhere. Not without a fight. I love you. I love everything you've brought me. I love all the people you've given me. I've fallen in love and created friendships here. I've fought and cried and quit, I've looked at this site with love in my eyes and I've looked at this site with tears in my eyes. I've opened up to you. I've shared with you my most intimate moments, my secrets, the thoughts that transcended from my mind to my fingertips and on to the screen. Every single moment on this site has changed my life, and if the day comes when you need someone to take care of you, well... you know where to find me.

Thank you, YWS for being there for me when everyone has gone to sleep. Thank you for being patient with my questions, thank you for showing me how to write. Thank you for showing me how to behave on the internet. Thank you for inspiring me. Thank you for putting up with my terrible grammar, and spelling- and thank you for teaching me how it's done, slowly.

Thank you, YWS for all the virtual cookies and hugs. Thank you for every laugh that makes my face go red when I realize there's other people in the room. Thank you for pushing me to have fun.

Thank you, Nate, for building a home for us, and giving up your own writing career to keep it going. Thank you moderaters, and junior moderaters, and thank you abministrators for making YWS a safe place for us to put our works, and chat, and live. Thank you for everything that you do.

Thank you members of YWS, for always being friendly, and as helpful as possible to everyone. Thank you for being my second family.

Love you, Young Writers Society. <3

Oh YWS.

We're not going to talk about how long I've been on this site. But over the (too many) years, YWS has been a constant. It encouraged me to write, and to keep writing, even when I decided I would never write again. It taught me how to collaborate with others in storybooks and create compelling characters. It taught me that there are some really awesome young writers out there, and gave me hope for our future.

It introduced me to some very lovely people, and sometimes I forget this was where the friendship originated. The CA meetup was a blast. I ended up living near several members when I went away to uni. I hung out with @OverEasy and talked about nail polish. I went to @Snoink's wedding (something I was kind of responsible for, after all). @Dream Deep and I check up on each other often, and I still say we're going to Ireland someday. (@Meshugenah doesn't count, because I've known her about twice as long as YWS has been around.)

I mostly blog these days, or lurk when I don't feel like blogging. I don't know most of the active members. I venture into chat every once in a while, and it's pretty amusing when people ask if I'm new. But YWS is a community, and even if I don't know anyone here anymore, this still feels like home.

I'm a bit old to be considered a young writer these days, so I'm sure I'll move on eventually. But YWS has played a big part in my life. It has been a place to voice my troubles, or to be completely silly, or to actually do what the site was built for and review the works of others. More recently, it has given me a chance to encourage and support young people who are experiencing some pretty tough things, like mental illness or figuring out their gender/sexuality. YWS has helped me grow in ways I never thought possible.

So thank you, YWS. Thank you, Nate, for not giving up on the site. And thank you to all the members who have made this place what it is.

Love you, kids.